AMC Un-Cancels ‘The Killing'; Season 3 Premieres in May

Mere months after AMC announced that season 3 of the rain-soaked murder mystery The Killing would not happen, the network has apparently had a change of heart. Reports are now stating the network is in the process of un-canceling the program with the intention of having new episodes ready by May of next year.

The deal came about due to the strong efforts of the show’s producers and Fox TV Studios, who were so adamant to keep the show alive that, shortly after the cancelation was announced, rumors began circulating (as they always seem to) that the program would begin searching for a new home. Inevitably, an assumption that Netflix would save the series soon followed – speculation that was proven correct…at least partially.

Apparently, the deal was a bit more complex than The Killing simply packing its bags and heading over to the rental and streaming giant. As previously reported, the deal would see Netflix share the cost of producing season 3 with the cable network, and AMC would be given the opportunity to air new episodes first.

While the post-cancelation story of The Killing has been filled with as many touchy false conclusions as the investigation into the murder of Rosie Larsen, there’s no doubt the network’s change of heart was based largely on financial concerns. But for those who remained a fan of the series throughout the first two seasons, there is more good news beyond its resurrection: Early word is that showrunner Veena Sud delivered such a strong pitch for the season’s third (well, second) storyline that AMC was further convinced that bringing the series back was the right thing to do.

For AMC, The Killing has been a bit of a double-edged sword. Following in the incredibly successful and highly praised footsteps of Mad Men and Breaking Bad,the series premiered to good reviews and strong ratings. But after what was perceived as the titanic misstep not to reveal the identity of the murderer in season one’s finale, many fans cried foul, claiming the network’s promotion of the show assured closure for the central mystery. Despite an acknowledgement from the network and promises from Sud and the series’ cast that the Rosie Larsen murder would have a definitive end, the audience simply did not show up for the second season. As such, by the end of season 2, the series was drawing in a rather paltry 1.9 million viewers.

In the face of dwindling ratings, series co-star and future RoboCop Joel Kinnaman stated publicly that he believed there were still plenty of stories to be told involving detectives Linden (Mirelle Enos) and Holder. At one point, Kinnaman referred to the future of the series as something of a reboot that would completely move away from any of the storylines of its predecessor, the Danish series Forbrydelsen.

Kinnaman stated:

“We’ve invested a lot in these characters and want to see how they continue their journey. I feel like Linden and Holder [are] just [getting] started. It’s like the first season [of a show], where it [would] be original material and not based on the Danish [series] anymore.”

Even though the series’ leads have since seen their careers transition to the big screen in the abovementioned RoboCop reboot and World War Z, respectively, they are the only cast members contractually obligated to appear in season 3 – which leaves the storyline and further casting completely up in the air. It stands to reason that Billy Campbell (The Rocketeer), as newly-elected mayor of Seattle, Darren Richmond, could have a role in the upcoming season, though it would seem very unlikely that Michelle Forbes or Brent Sexton’s characters would have much reason to be involved in any future storylines.

So now the question is whether the promise of a new storyline will be enough to bring viewers back to the series. With production expected to start sometime in February, we won’t have to wait too long in order to find out.

Screen Rant will keep you updated on season 3 of The Killing as more news is made available.